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Our section (345) had a guy stand up every 3rd Down on Defense and raise hell. "It's 3rd Down!!! Stand Up, Make Some Noise" Noone seemed to mind and most everyone was enjoying it. Later in the game these idiots two rows back wearing sunglasses nonetheless (very cloudy evening) yelled at him to sit down, then bucked up to him. Long story short...I went to get a drink right before the 3rd quarter ended. When I came back he and his friend were gone. My guess was that they got kicked out by security.

I proceeded to take over his duties since he was gone and everyone laughed. The two idiots ended up arguing with each other by games end.

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The franchise doesn't deserve decent fans. You have to at least pretend to try to build a winner.

It's easy to like a team when their winning.

It's easy to cheer on the Patriots or Giants after a SuperBowl run or two! Try cheering on the Raiders or Browns or the Bills for that matter. I have seen some pretty hardcore Buffalo Bills fans for an organization that gives little back in return.

IMO, it isn't winning that creates fans as much as people looking at a football game as more than "something to do" on a Sunday afternoon but something that defines you and your community. When your passion for your team is that deep, you look at a game a bit differently.

The fact is, Charlotte is a "newer" city filled with mostly transplants. The majority of people don't live and breath Charlotte because the majority of people moved to Charlotte from other cities. Just look at the crowd during the Giants game!!! Those people didn't all drive from New York. They were mostly just New Yorkers living in Charlotte. :)

In time, as its population grows, people who call Charlotte home will begin to have a burning passion for everything Charlotte, but right now... a Panthers game is more or less the "hip thing to do" on Sundays. The majority of people go because everybody else they know is going. They simply go to be seen and mingle among friends, but the game itself is of little importance and the last reason why they are there.

Sure, most newer teams in any sport, especially transplant cities, struggle to gain passionate fans early on. If you can find a way to win, people will jump on the bandwagon because anybody will cheer for a winner. Now, if you love something even when it's struggling, you'll be there and that's the difference between bandwagon fans and real fans.

It's almost like people who believe parents who seem disappointed when their children don't try hard enough and get a B- instead of an A, are somehow "bad" parents. It's a stretch to define "bad" but both certainly love their children and want the best out of them.

What bothers me is that since Charlotte has "newer" football fans, they tend to question what makes a fan and fail to understand that you can complain and whine and argue over the direction the franchise is going in and still be a fan. Look, Steelers fans argue when Pittsburgh struggles but they are still fans of Pittsburgh and still love their Steelers. In fact, I'd argue that the demands of Steeler fans has put higher exceptions on their franchise and made the team better.

As far as me, I live in Richmond (although I plan to move to Charlotte in a year or two and have always loved it there) and drove 5 hours for the Seattle game. I didn't pack well, wore shorts, a short sleeved Cam jersey, and was shivering the whole game. Still, IMO, $100 in gas, $300 on a hotel, $300 in tickets, food, drinks, freezing to death to the last play, etc.... makes me a pretty dedicated fan even if Cam and Ron irate me and I choose to voice my onion at times.

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I laugh when people tell PSL owners who to sell their tickets to!!! I have PSL's and I haven't had to, but if I couldn't sell them to a buddy, I'm selling them to the highest bidder to claw back some of my license fee!!!

as for BOA...I was blown away watching on tv and seeing how many empty seats there were well into the first quarter for sure....and so many times when there were key moments in the game and the crowd is sitting there, maybe clapping, maybe whistling. shitty times or not, I can promise you, in Seattle...unless it's a major blow out, that place is fricken rocking hard.

to each their own I suppose...success on the field brings noise in the stands...but maybe a little noise in the stands helps bring a little success on the field too

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As others have said, we suck, therefore our fans suck. They made an embarrassing point today on The Drive about how the Jacksonville Jaguars have had more winning seasons than us since inception..Like most, I'm not paying a lot of money (because it isn't cheap) to go to games to see a loser team play. Call me fair weather if you will, but I can watch for free from the couch and complain just as much as the rest of you.

The solution: Lower ticket prices, give out free beer at the games and you get a rowdy atmosphere. But, that will never happen. Oh, and start WINNING!

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I'm pretty freaking tired of reading posts from people who have no problem with empty seats.... just remember, Richardson could pull a Modell and you will be left with nothing, because unlike places like Cleveland where fans actually support a losing team, nobody will bother putting another team in Charlotte where the "fans"don't give a crap

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I am not complaining about the fan base right now anymore. Yes it is somewhat week, etc, etc, I do not understand how there were empty seats at the home opener, I can not stand how many fans from other teams take over that place, I laughed at all those who left with ~3:45 left in the game only down by 6 with 3 time outs, and I still go to every game no matter what..... THAT BEING SAID the product on the field has sucked for at least 4 years now and it has NOTHING do to with the fans.

Its time for this franchise to actually "protect this house" and stop stinking up the joint. Do that first and then we can start complaining about the fan base again.